What is the process of entering the country?

[payxibka 10,044]

10 minutes ago, Mike E said:

 

 

In some set ups, customs inspection can be at the final domestic destination.

 

Still, theUSA is very slowly moving toward customs inspection at the last 

Customs inspection is not just limited to checked bags but carry on as well.  If you have a mix of passengers then how will you ever identify and inspect the uninspecected bags at a final destination?

 

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by payxibka

[treppenwitz 78]

20 hours ago, Moslund said:

they sat me in an open room with other people there for multiple reasons.

A video clip showing JFK's room for illustrative purposes: https://youtu.be/rzni6qqBdfY?t=1505

[LCSTOTT 5]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Passport control and customs inspection are separate functions. 

 

When traveling to any country in the world, passport control is generally always at the point of entry when the next connection is domestic.   

 

In some set ups, customs inspection can be at the final domestic destination. In the last few years, I’ve had domestic connections in the UK, USA, Canada, India, Japan,  Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Schengen Area, and passport control / visa processing was always at point of entry.  

 

The USA, Canada, and I think Australia and India  have customs inspection at point of entry.  The rest, plus EU and Schengen do customs inspection at final destination. It’s pretty easy to do at final destination because the baggage handlers can tell if a bag had an international origin, but this confounds advanced North American countries.   

 

Still, theUSA is very slowly moving toward customs inspection at the last destination.

 

You will have passport control at JFK. You will join a long queue that will take hours for you to reach the head of the line. You will spend 5 to 30 minutes with the officer(s) who examine your passport and the embassy packet you receive.

 

After that I am pretty sure you will collect your checked  bags at JFK, and be expected to recheck them.   Even though in the USA now (at least at SFO and LAX) customs cards are collected passport control instead of after collecting bags (hence my assertion that the USA will eventually have customs inspection to final destination).   Customs is actually quite fast now in the USA (again my experience with this new process is limited to LAX and SFO).  

Well then this is awkward. My connection duration is not a lot of time at all!

 

If I miss my connecting flight due to immagration/customs would there be a chance I could be moved onto the next flight free of charge? I’m flying with Delta if this helps at all..  

[Lil bear 3,831]

1 minute ago, LCSTOTT said:

Well then this is awkward. My connection duration is not a lot of time at all!

 

If I miss my connecting flight due to immagration/customs would there be a chance I could be moved onto the next flight free of charge? I’m flying with Delta if this helps at all..  

Not necessarily. Most airlines do not consider delays in CBP

to be  a problem for which they are responsible .. so they may not reschedule you without charging a fee. You can  check Deltas policy online .. and perhaps talk to a Delta  agent .. that way  you  can be prepared if it happens 

[usmsbow 795]

31 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

Not necessarily. Most airlines do not consider delays in CBP

to be  a problem for which they are responsible .. so they may not reschedule you without charging a fee. You can  check Deltas policy online .. and perhaps talk to a Delta  agent .. that way  you  can be prepared if it happens 

 As long as it is the same ticket (and not a separate one to get from JFK to Denver), there won't be a fee to get on another flight if he misses the original one.  Airlines treat CBP delays like weather delays: not the airline's fault, but they're still obligated to get you to your destination. That's universally the case. 

[Tracey&Greg 33]

I just saw your post. It's really an easy process. When you go through customs they'll take your folder and process you. It's timing but not bad. This coming from my hubby. I saw where your from.. Just being nosey lol my hubby came from Cleveleys lol I hope you packed rock candy

[Limey 550]

1 hour ago, LCSTOTT said:

Well then this is awkward. My connection duration is not a lot of time at all!

 

If I miss my connecting flight due to immagration/customs would there be a chance I could be moved onto the next flight free of charge? I’m flying with Delta if this helps at all..  

How long is your connection?

When I came though Atlanta a few years back I had to queue with everyone else who was traveling with ESTA (this can take anything from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending how busy it is). Once at the desk I explained I was on K1, he opened the package, looked through a bit and then gave me a laminated card to show at customs. So I went through and at customs showed the card and was escorted to a waiting room. About 20-30 minutes later someone showed up with my passport and I was free to go. I'd want to allow at least 2 hrs to be safe.

If you miss your flight due to immigration checks I'm sure Delta will get you on a later one. It happens all the time. No one tries to miss a flight. If your flight arrives eg only 15 to 20 mins late, then you could argue you had enough time and only missed connection because of THEIR delay - that's why they don't argue in these cases, they just rebook you.

You may well find your domestic flight is running late anyway - US airline punctuality is terrible, pretty much 30% of the flights I take have some kind of delay or an hour or more.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Limey

[Mike E 11,723]

3 hours ago, payxibka said:

Customs inspection is not just limited to checked bags but carry on as well.  If you have a mix of passengers then how will you ever identify and inspect the uninspecected bags at a final destination?

 

 

At passport control, the CBP officer would have the option of requiring a secondary inspection. Just like the immigration police at passport control in the Schengen zone. This is one of the (only?) benefits of a single agency for customs and immigration.

It is obviously coming to the USA. Other countries have been doing it for nearly 100 years.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Mike E

[NYCruiser 423]

11 hours ago, LCSTOTT said:

I’m flying in to JFK and then connecting to Denver 😊

 

I was (am a USC now) when I entered on a K1 at JFK. Terminal 4 I believe. It took all of 20 minutes. (98% waiting I might add). Yes they escort you to the side-room called Secondary Inspection. You wait until you are called, then they stamp your passport with the K1, and say Welcome to the United States in a very New York City way. That's it. Not an interrogation LOL

[Mike E 11,723]

1 hour ago, LCSTOTT said:

Well then this is awkward. My connection duration is not a lot of time at all!

 

If I miss my connecting flight due to immagration/customs would there be a chance I could be moved onto the next flight free of charge? I’m flying with Delta if this helps at all..  

I disagree with the assertion that airlines won't take care of you if CBP processing delays cause you to miss your connection. In my personal experience, airlines will if the both the inbound international segment and the domestic segment are purchased on the same ticket and the same airline. This happened to me once when I arrived in Chicago on a 3 hour layover, and CBP changed the set up so that green card holders could no longer use the USA citizen line. 4 hours later I was through passport control. No problem getting through airport security to the domestic terminal and United Airlines took care of me just fine on the way to Colorado Springs.

 

Delta from London continuing on to Denver is likely one ticket, so I think you will be covered.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Mike E

[payxibka 10,044]

38 minutes ago, Mike E said:

At passport control, the CBP officer would have the option of requiring a secondary inspection. Just like the immigration police at passport control in the Schengen zone. This is one of the (only?) benefits of a single agency for customs and immigration.

It is obviously coming to the USA. Other countries have been doing it for nearly 100 years.

I don't see them setting up customs agents in podunk, iowa or bumfuk, arkansas.

[LCSTOTT 5]

1 hour ago, Tracey&Greg said:

I just saw your post. It's really an easy process. When you go through customs they'll take your folder and process you. It's timing but not bad. This coming from my hubby. I saw where your from.. Just being nosey lol my hubby came from Cleveleys lol I hope you packed rock candy

What a coincidence 😂 Small world 

[LCSTOTT 5]

1 hour ago, Limey said:

How long is your connection?

When I came though Atlanta a few years back I had to queue with everyone else who was traveling with ESTA (this can take anything from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending how busy it is). Once at the desk I explained I was on K1, he opened the package, looked through a bit and then gave me a laminated card to show at customs. So I went through and at customs showed the card and was escorted to a waiting room. About 20-30 minutes later someone showed up with my passport and I was free to go. I'd want to allow at least 2 hrs to be safe.

If you miss your flight due to immigration checks I'm sure Delta will get you on a later one. It happens all the time. No one tries to miss a flight. If your flight arrives eg only 15 to 20 mins late, then you could argue you had enough time and only missed connection because of THEIR delay - that's why they don't argue in these cases, they just rebook you.

You may well find your domestic flight is running late anyway - US airline punctuality is terrible, pretty much 30% of the flights I take have some kind of delay or an hour or more.

My layover is 1 hour 35 minutes. Delta have told me that they will put me on the next flight free of charge if I end up missing the flight, but this will not be until the next day.. 

[LCSTOTT 5]

40 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

I was (am a USC now) when I entered on a K1 at JFK. Terminal 4 I believe. It took all of 20 minutes. (98% waiting I might add). Yes they escort you to the side-room called Secondary Inspection. You wait until you are called, then they stamp your passport with the K1, and say Welcome to the United States in a very New York City way. That's it. Not an interrogation LOL

I guess it depends on when you arrive to the airport and how busy it is.. I arrive at 4:30pm on a Wednesday so I can’t see the customs being too rammed, but it’s the not knowing that’s killing me 😅 

My layover is 1 hour 35 minutes, so hopefully that enough time. 

Did you have to recheck in your luggage? 

[Mike E 11,723]

13 minutes ago, payxibka said:

I don't see them setting up customs agents in podunk, iowa or bumfuk, arkansas.

Me neither. And yet in say Germany, there are lots of airports without Schengen officers. And they manage to adequately inspect checked luggage.

 

So what will happen is that when passengers heading to DogPatch USA, CBP will know who they are, and will decide either before they land or after landing that they are to get a secondary.  Either way, CBP will be able to get your bag.

 

Maybe about ten years ago I checked a bag at Dublin, Ireland and then proceeded to CBP preclearance, in Ireland. The officer took my boarding pass, and then showed me his screen with a digital photo and asked: "Is this your bag?". He then thought about doing secondary, and didn't.

 

You will notice that in pre-clearance airports in Canada, the order is now check in the bag, airport screening of carry on bags, and then CBP preclearance.  This is obviously for the protection of unarmed CBP officers and it is stunning it took 40+ years for someone to figure out the security hole before there was a tragedy.

 

If CBP can retrieve a checked for secondary screening in Dublin, Ireland or Halifax, Canada, in foreign countries, it can surely retrieve a bag for secondary screening at JFK, ORD, ATL, LAX, SFO, etc.

 

And it will.